Former National Unity Platform Presidential (NUP) Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine has been given up to tomorrow to file his petition calling for withdrawal of the matter in which he challenges President Yoweri Museveni’s victory in the just concluded elections.
On Thursday 14th January, 2021, the Electoral Commission conducted presidential elections where Ugandans exercised their constitutional rights of choosing a president who will lead them through a five year term. Uganda has a total 18,103,603 registered voters and 34,684 polling stations however only 10,350,819 people turned up to vote.
The presidential election which comprised 11 candidates was won by President Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta who got 6,042,898 (58.38%). His closest opponent Kyagulanyi Robert Sentamu got 3,631,437 votes (35.08%).
Yesterday, the singer announced the withdrawal of the petition after the Supreme Court declined to receive his evidence.
“We can’t be part of the mockery of justice. We have instructed our lawyers to withdraw the case. We were told that the withdrawal of the matter is a process. This was a test, the electoral commission failed; the Supreme Court has as well failed. We have decided to take the matter to the court of public opinion; no one can convince you that the electoral commission was independent,” he said yesterday.
“Bobi Wine has not withdrawn the petition; we are just reading it on social media. He has two days to formally write to the honourable court calling for withdrawal of the matter or else the hearing will go on,” Solomon Muyita the spokesperson to the judiciary said adding that the court will then convene to deliberate on the matter before it.
He said that the court may decide to go on with the matter; award costs or another petitioner may go on the matter till it is disposed of.
Earlier this month, Bobi Wine petitioned the Supreme Court challenging President Yoweri Museveni’s victory in the just concluded January general elections saying that the election was not free and fair.
He contended that throughout the campaign period the People of Uganda generally, and more particularly his supporters endured untold suffering, torture, degrading and inhuman treatment on the orders of Gen Museveni. He cited the dark days of 18th and 19th November 2020 which saw over 50 innocent, unarmed citizens murdered in cold blood by the police and military.
Last week the Supreme Court declined to receive over 200 pieces of evidence from his lawyers who were led by Anthony Wameli. The court registrar Ssali Harriet Lukwago said the Supreme Court could not receive the affidavits because they were filed beyond stipulated time as agreed during the pre-hearing session held on Thursday last week.
“Among the rejected evidence included the affidavits of the NUP secretary general Lewis Lubongoya, videos of pre-ticket ballots, and evidence of various polling stations where the incumbent got 100%. At Lwaweba polling station where they claim that Museveni got 100% seven of my relatives who votes from that station didn’t vote, two pregnant women were in the labour ward and two were arrested,” he said yesterday.
A week ago, Supreme Court chaired by the chief Justice Alfonso Owiny-Dollo dismissed the MPs petition where he sought to adduce more grounds to support his 26 claims of election fraud, for which he wants president-elect Yoweri Kaguta Museveni annulled.
In the fresh grounds, Bobi contended that Mr Museveni was not qualified as Candidate and could not lawfully Contest in the Presidential Elections being a person in command of military and police contrary to Presidential Elections amendment Act and the Constitutional Amendment
In tandem, the MP asked Justice Owiny Dollo, Mike Chibita to back off from hearing the matter because of a clear conflict of interest. He said Chief Justice represented Museveni as his lawyer in the presidential petition filed by Dr. Besigye in 2001 and the former DPP Chibita is Museveni’s former private secretary for 7 years.
